Among these poor neglected people did the good English lady go, entering their chimneyless dilapidated dwellings, ministering to their many wants, and holding with them conversation as well as she could in the pure German tongue. She found them possessing all the physical characteristics of a northern people; and they insisted that they were not Italians, but Cimbri, evidently considering themselves a superior race. They were very poor, they said, and had no rich amongst them; the terrible winter went very hard with them; their sterile land produced scarce any wheat [three of the Comuni grow a little wheat] and no wine; and firewood was dear; but yet they were strong and healthy; and during the long inclement winter evenings they held reunions in their cow-houses, thus gathering heat from the animals, which, together with sheep, were the only staple production of their country.

They told her also that of old the Visconti, Scaligeri, and later, the Venetian Republic, were kinder to them than the present Government; that, besides other privileges, they were allowed to sell their live stock in Vicenza market free of all imposts; and not only that, but they enjoyed the Pensionatico, or the right of quartering their sheep during the winter on the farmers in the plains below; but that now all distinctive privileges were cancelled.

Then Semele, accompanied by a group of flaxen-haired, ruddy, plump children, went to see the great church which these pious people were building; and in a school-house near she found a priest catechising a circle of youthful catechumens from a catechism compiled by a Bishop of Padua in the Cimbrian tongue, which seemed to be a mixture of Scandinavian and old German. The title-page of this curious book ran thus:— "Dar kloane Catechismo vor de Síben Kaméün mit Halghen Gasang." When the priest asked about the capital sins, how many they were, and their names, he spoke thus:— "Bibel saint de sünte, da rüfentsich Capitali?" and he received for answer, "Sibene: Superbia, Scárcekot, Schántekot, Zornekot, Náidekot, Nait, Naalecekot [Pride, Avarice, Luxury, Anger, Gluttony, Envy, Sloth]."

When they were requested in these words to say the Lord's Prayer, "Köt auf z'gapét von Gotte me Herren," they altogether thus recited with uneuphonious effect — "Unzar Vater, vön me Hümmele, sai gaéart eür halzar namo! kemme dar eür Hümmel; sai gatáant allez baz ar belt iart, bia in Hümmel asò af d'earda; ghetüz heüte ünzar proat von altághe; un lácetuz naach ünzare schulle, bía bar lácense naach biar den da saint schulliküz; háltetüz gahütet von tentaciún; un hévetüz de übel. Aso saiz."

When they were told to say the Ave Maria — "Kót auf de Ave Maria" — they repeated in unison "Ich grüzach, Maria, volla grázíen, Gott dar Herre ist mit eüch; séelik iart übar de baibar; un séelik z'Kint von éürme laibe, Jesus. Halga Maria, Muter von Gotte me Herren, pittet vor üz süntar, hemmest, un af an stunt von ünzarme tóada. Asò saiz."*

And the priest told her that this was the second catechism published in the Cimbrian tongue; that the first was compiled by the order or recommendation of Cardinal Bellarmine [born in 1542], but that the language had become so changed since his time, that a fresh translation became indispensable. The priest then introduced her to an old man learned in Cimbrian antiquities, cognizant of the past history of his race, and an enthusiast regarding the beauties of his language; who lamented the modernizing modifications which his beloved mother tongue was gradually undergoing.

In the evening the sound of a full orchestral band playing operatic music came across the incredulous ears of Semele. She went out of the inn in the direction of the music, and in a small open space quite near, she saw by the light of many torches the good priest, her morning's acquaintance, standing in the midst of forty or fifty young men, all provided with musical instruments with music-stands before them, and conducting them without the score through the intricacies of the overture of Mozart's Flauto Magico. In the morning he told her that he had wished to give her a glad surprise; he did not wish her to leave with the impression that, because they were poor and of Teuton origin, they were barbarians.

He told her that he was a Cimbrian himself, and was sent by his poor parents to obtain his education, and ultimately his ordination at Padua; that when he began his work as a clergyman, he was grieved at the drunkenness which prevailed amongst the Asiago people during the long, dreary and snowy winter evenings; and that, having carefully studied the science of music himself, he prevailed on the young men of the place to follow his example, and choose each one his instrument. "For many years," he continued, "I worked very hard amid many difficulties to carry out my scheme; but at last I have succeeded tolerably well; and Handel, Mozart, and Rossini have been substituted in Asiago for wine, cards, and quarrelsome language." **

Leaving Asiago, Semele reached Vicenza, the monumental city of Palladio, surely the most beautiful city in Northern Italy, after Venice, as she thought, and then returned to her beloved City of the Waters, there to await the glad fulfilment of her wishes.

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* I give a translation of this old Teutonic language into modern German, so that the reader may institute a comparison.

Catechist. How many are the sins which are called Capital? (Wie viel sind die Sünden die rufen sich [heissen] Capitali [Hauptsünden]?)
Answer. Seven.: Pride, Avarice, Luxury, Anger, Gluttony, Envy, Sloth. (Sieben: Hoffart, Geiz, Unkeuschheit, Zorn, Völlerei, Neid, Faulheit.)

Catechist. Say the Lord's Prayer. (Saget auf das Gebet von Gott dem Herrn.)
Answer. Vater unser, der Du bist im Himmel, geheiliget werde dein Name; dein Reich komme; dein Wille geschehe, wie im Himmel also auch auf Erden. Unser tägliches Brod gib uns heute. Und vergib uns unsere Schulden, wie wir vergeben unsern Schuldigern. Führe uns nicht in Versuchung; sondern erlöse uns von dem Übel. Amen.

Catechist. Say the Ave Maria. (Saget auf das Ave Maria.)
Answer. Gegrüsset seiest du, Maria, du bist voll der Gnaden; der Herr ist mit dir. Du bist gebenedeiet unter den Weibern, und gebenedeiet ist die Frucht deines Leibes, Jesus. Heilige Maria, Mutter Gottes, bitte für uns jetzt und in der Stunde unseres Absterbens. Amen.

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** The state of these poor people is worthy of our deepest commiseration, now that the peculiar privileges which they enjoyed for so many years have been taken away. The whole district embraces a large extent of table-land, elevated above the adjacent Italian plains at least four thousand feet. What the weather is in winter may be imagined from the fact, that on the Easter day preceding the author's visit, the clergyman went to church from his house through a lane of snow, the banks of which were ten feet high. In such a climate scarce any wheat will ripen; the growth of the vine is out of the question. Oats, rye, barley, and potatoes, the last not very good, are all they can make their sterile soil produce.

Such a state of things surely deserves exclusive privileges; and exclusive privileges, such as I have already recounted, were given to them, and continued under the Visconti, Scaligeri, and the Venetian Republic. By Francis II of Austria these privileges were confirmed on the 15th of February, 1798; but they were all abolished by Sovereign Resolution in 1856. Consequently, the 200,000 sheep which they possessed in 1763, have dwindled down to a comparatively small number; and there is no doubt that these poor people are reduced to a state of great misery and destitution. They have no resident gentry amongst them to initiate useful enterprises, and teach them that their moral and religious tendencies are very incomplete if accompanied by obstinacy and stagnation, and a determination not to improve upon their fathers.

It is to be hoped that the present Italian Government, which proclaims itself the Regenerator of Italy, will vigorously take in hand the sad case of the 24,000 poor Cimbri inhabiting the bleak downs of the Sette Comuni.